“Nobody is going to follow a broke man..”

In the Atlanta Journal-Consitution today, an article was produced taking a look at the prosperity gospel that is becoming more and more prevalent today. After reading the article, I am furious! I've long held great disdain for the innacurate exegesis (or more correctly, the biased eisegesis) imposed on biblical texts by "teachers" like Creflo Dollar. However, until tonight I had not been moved to outright anger. The following quote is taken from today's article.

However, if Jesus and his disciples weren't poor — because God had blessed them — what does that say about the millions of faithful Christians who live throughout the world in brutal poverty?

Is that due to a failure of their character?

When asked this, Dollar says: "Part of it may be, first of all, a lack of understanding. You cannot do better until you know better. I used to be broke and poor just like all of those other people. I had to first change the way I think."

Rick Hayes, a 14-year member of Dollar's church, agrees.

He says he was "homeless and hopeless" until he attended World Changers. He learned there that Jesus preached to the poor so they wouldn't be poor anymore. Today he is a medical supply salesman.

Hayes says he believes Jesus was rich because some biblical translations suggest Jesus — as a baby — was visited by a caravan of about 200 kings bearing gold, not three wise men. Jesus also needed wealth to pay travel expenses for his 12 disciples as they took the Gospel from city to city.

Hayes, quoting the ninth chapter of Ecclesiastes ("The words of a poor man are soon forgotten"), also says Jesus could not have attracted a devoted following if he was poor.

"Nobody is going to follow a broke man," Hayes says.

If Dollar wants to spout his heretical doctrine, that's one thing. As he rolls through Atlanta in his Rolls-Royce (and yes, that is his vehicle of choice) I'm sure he's comforted by his $3,000 suits. However, to claim that the millions of persecuted, impoverished believers who are suffering around the world are doing so because of their inability to grasp biblical truth is tantamount to the demonic in my opinion. I think about my Burkinabe friends who chose to lose everything they have, even at times their families, if they chose to reject their traditions and follow after Christ and I am filled with indignation that Dollar would even insinuate anything other than admiration for the depth of their commitment.

It is difficult for me right now to even attempt to be civil towards this misdirected theology. God have mercy on men like Dollar, who are leading thousands, if not millions, astray.